If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Recommendations for a netbook with 3D accelerator?

07-27-2010, 03:46 PM

I'm looking for a netbook with real 3D. AMD drivers being what they are-- I intend to use Linux --and "Intel" (PowerVR) hardware being what it is, I think my options may be limited to ION, ION, and possibly ION 2 if that's available before the sun goes cold.

(If there's such a thing as a netbook with a low-draw NVIDIA GPU but Intel or even AMD chipset, that would be fine.)

And, that said, it would be really awesome if I could get a CPU in amd64, multicore optional. I have one machine left running WinXP-- everything else is running some kind of amd64 OS. I plan to keep it that way.

For that reason, I'd also ask if there's anything nice available in "SFF" notebook. I just need something with amd64, real 3D, decent drivers, and good-to-astounding runtime in a relatively small case. I wouldn't mind at all having an integral ODD and being able to use a 2.5in SSD...

Comment

I'm looking for a netbook with real 3D. AMD drivers being what they are-- I intend to use Linux --and "Intel" (PowerVR) hardware being what it is, I think my options may be limited to ION, ION, and possibly ION 2 if that's available before the sun goes cold.

(If there's such a thing as a netbook with a low-draw NVIDIA GPU but Intel or even AMD chipset, that would be fine.)

And, that said, it would be really awesome if I could get a CPU in amd64, multicore optional. I have one machine left running WinXP-- everything else is running some kind of amd64 OS. I plan to keep it that way.

For that reason, I'd also ask if there's anything nice available in "SFF" notebook. I just need something with amd64, real 3D, decent drivers, and good-to-astounding runtime in a relatively small case. I wouldn't mind at all having an integral ODD and being able to use a 2.5in SSD...

Just about any laptop with either a K125 or K325 CPU and the Radeon HD 4225 would suit your needs. They come in 10" or 11" for the most part and are pretty inexpensive (with the more basic models starting at $330.)

Comment

I'm looking for a netbook with real 3D. AMD drivers being what they are-- I intend to use Linux --and "Intel" (PowerVR) hardware being what it is, I think my options may be limited to ION, ION, and possibly ION 2 if that's available before the sun goes cold.

There are some interesting notebooks ahead for back-to-school (with 11.6" display). They are based on Core i3 ULV processors. The Ironlake IGP performance is on par with ION or ION2 systems on Linux. You just won't get CUDA or GPGPU-like toolkit though, if that matters to you.

Comment

Just about any laptop with either a K125 or K325 CPU and the Radeon HD 4225 would suit your needs. They come in 10" or 11" for the most part and are pretty inexpensive (with the more basic models starting at $330.)

Lovely. Well, that was sort of the tip of the iceberg. They've refused repair under warranty, tried to wiggle out of having to live up to onsite repair, and sold me an "UltraNav keyboard" in the US, off the US sub-site, that turned out to be a "Japan-only" model when I tried to get it repaired under (3-year) warranty, then claimed I'd have to provide proof of purchase (On a year-old SKU?) before they could do anything (Why?).

And every ThinkPad T-series I've been forced to buy or use in the last two years or so has shipped with a terrible Hitachi ODD (various models) that roars, rattles, and shakes the entire notebook past about 16x CD speed-- reading or writing. And they refuse to do anything but sub an identical FRU with the exact same problems.

I just don't trust them at all any more.

Comment

There are some interesting notebooks ahead for back-to-school (with 11.6" display). They are based on Core i3 ULV processors. The Ironlake IGP performance is on par with ION or ION2 systems on Linux. You just won't get CUDA or GPGPU-like toolkit though, if that matters to you.

Those I'm not worried about. VDPAU or VA-API could be important, though. I don't recall what the MPEG-2 / MPEG-4 / x264 accel situation is for Ironlake. Does it work under Linux? Does it look good (have reasonable artifact removal / quality scaling and resampling)?

Comment

...with one exception: really only 2GB max? And it ships with NT6.1? Are there any "mega-netbooks" with an N450-like Atom that can handle a "staggering" 4GB?

At 2GB, running whatever Linux, I can handle most netbook-type tasks and play a handful of games, but I don't think I'm going to be carrying my PSX games around and playing those with pcsx. Or using WINE, for that matter.

(Yes, I still have my actual games. And an SCPH-50001 to play them on. But I'm partly looking for a more-capable system to make up for the severe disappointment of GamePark consoles, broken Dingoos, radically underpowered Nintendo handhelds, Pandora, and whatever else you like. I want my music, my network access, and my games in a small, if not handheld, package.)